Washington State Holds Primaries Amid Spokane Wildfire Emergency

Washington state conducted primary elections on Tuesday for the state Supreme Court, the state Legislature, and U.S. House seats. The voting process coincided with a state of emergency in Spokane, where wildfires forced the evacuation of approximately 67,000 residents and caused the closure of one ballot drop box.

In the 3rd Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is facing eight challengers, including Republican state Senate Minority Leader John Braun. In the 4th Congressional District, 11 candidates are competing to replace retiring Republican Dan Newhouse. Donald Trump provided endorsements for both Braun and Yakima County Commissioner Amanda McKinney.

Washington utilizes a top-two primary system, which permits the two candidates with the most votes to advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation. As of Friday, an estimated 780,000 ballots had been cast in the mail-heavy process.